Its A Croaked Units Party - Part I

Barb's boots crunched on the dried leaves that covered the ground like a carpet. Their amber and maroon hues made interesting patterns that she stopped to stare at for a while. She lost herself in the gazing, until looking up to see a couple of Dirtamancers making funny faces and laughing as they walked by, swigging from their bottles as they made their way towards the building a short distance off. Barb, brushed a blonde lock of her hair back behind her ear, and pressing her glasses back up towards her bright blue eyes. It wasn't easy being a Weirdomancer in the Magic Kingdom, she didn't have many friends, and those that she did weren't friends so much as people who just stood near each other on occasion. Even her brother Pete Aryan just seemed to tolerate her, when he wasn’t busy running with that Alex DeLarge, and the rest of his Shockamancer friends.

She guessed that's what made this night so unusual, in the near 1200 turns that she had been in the Magic Kingdom, she had never been to the Croakamancer Ball. In fact, she had only just learned about it several turns back when she had found herself far away from her usual confines after taking a Silly Walk for quite a bit longer than anticipated. When it had become time for something completely different, she had looked about and saw that dashing man in his top hat having a conversation with another girl about the ball and listened in as close as possible. Eventually, he looked down between his legs where she had laid down and introduced himself as Dr. Facilier and while the title seemed appropriate, she doubted that he was even a Healomancer at all. He looked at her with curious eyes, different than she was used to and before she knew it he was surprising her again and again as she made her way around the Kingdom. One time he even showed up in the hippy glade when she had accidently punched a hole in the drum one of them had given her to play along with. He paid a Rand for the drum, and escorted her back to the portal park, but wouldn’t answer why he had been there in the first place. This went on for a few more turns, him showing up randomly, until one day he stopped her and told her to come to the Croakamancer Ball with him.

“You owe him at least this much for the rand Barb!” she said too loud to herself, and looked around to see if anyone noticed. No one had, or at least pretended not to, and she steeled herself to walk into the party. As she drew close, a bit of foolamancy had been prepared which sounded like a cackle, and some fog rolled in which hadn’t been there before. She was impressed with the amount the Croakamancers must have spent on this event. She adjusted her outfit, a tight satin one piece. She was told everyone wore elaborate costumes to this, so she made up one of her own. It had stripes, cause she likes stripes, but stars are cool too, so there are those, and red, and white, and a golden eagle for good luck, and some blue cause that’s pretty. In all it came together quite well, and she borrowed a pair of bracers that matched the eagle from her dollamancer neighbor, who always seemed to like her, but they never really talked.

As she walked up to the door of the building, a great grey stone structure adorned with skulls and bones which had a musty stale odor to it, and the door swung open at the hand of an uncroaked unit, which though was still intact, was surprising to see here. She walked into the open door, and was a washed with sights and sounds of the place.

Walking with a croaked unit over my shoulder..

A group of what appeared to be uncroaked Lofty Elves were standing at the far end on a raised dias of sorts. Each of which held a different a different instrument of sorts and were laying some serious Rhyme-o-mancy over the whole place, affecting nearly everyone in attendance. A Signomancer had placed a banner across the top indicating this was Hammy Elfman and the Oinko Boingo’s.

Waiting for my invitation to arrive..

Going to a party where no ones still alive..

Barb made her way through the crowd, and ducked her head when she saw her brother and he friends walking around in all white, with what appeared to be rounded thinking caps, and shillelaghs in their hands. They were making trouble with anyone they came across and she thought they might be more drinking caps, so rather than be the object of their attention she made her way towards a long wooden bar and found a secluded spot to take in the scene. There were mages of all sorts here, mixing together, and the Croakamancers which were in attendance commanded a decent amount of attention from everyone. They had a set of foolamancers at one corner of the room providing veils of various types over casters faces, some people looking like scarecrow units, some like skeletal units, others still like gobwins and marbits. Everyone seemed to be very much enjoying themselves, and occasional dance fights would break out in the middle and everyone would gather in a circle to watch them compete, the winner of which would receive some candy or dollamancy trinkets from the croakamancers.

Got my best suit and tie..

Shiney Silver Dollar on either eye..

A man with a half skull veil approached Barb, and she could tell by his hat that it was her friend and inviter Dr. Facilier. He had been making his way through the crowd, performing slight acts of predictomancy with the help of some cards that he carried on him, but he didn’t strike her as a predictomancer either. He reached his hand out to Barb and invited her to the center of the floor, perhaps he was some sort of date-a-mancer because she felt so inclined to do so, she abandoned her normal fears and followed him into the circle. There was a dance fight at that point, but likely more Barb fighting the dance itself than any actual dancing. She proceeded to kick her legs and punch her hands swinging her hair to and fro as she seemingly spasmed on the dance floor. Even Hammy Elfman noticed and launched into the bridge with even more fervor.

I was struck by shockbolts..

Walking down the street..

I was hit by something last night in my sleep..

(NOTE: user will be awarded mores Shmuckers when the series wraps, but the Oingo Boingo was worth an immediate 10. -Rob)

"Barb Aryan" sigh Well that's one name I can cross of that long "names of future Erfworld characters" list I keep.

Although, I think I should point out the fact that my actual document reads: "(Don't use unless you can think of a really good reason: Barb Aryan)" Maybe canonizing this character would count as a really good reason.

Heh, I just realized that it'd be tricky using Just Another Day (er, Just Another Turn?) in a similar way because no matter what part you used, there'd be a risk of people mistaking it for a reference to Parson.

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